This week brought the second of the four lectures that make up the Academic Research Showcase, which is part of the Presidential Inaugural Lecture Series. Dr. Anne Barker of the College of Health Professions presented Complexity Science: A Theoretical Model to Inform New Beginnings. She discussed the roots of Complexity Science – the chaos theory, fractal geometry, the butterfly effect and complex adaptive systems – and then suggested we view Sacred Heart as a complex adaptive system or, as she put it, “one big mob!” Such a view, she mentioned, could lead to a variety of interesting changes in the way we interact. Those include making connections that don’t currently exist, connecting the disconnected, employing self-organization and being present. The first two lectures in the series have been fascinating, and I am looking forward to the remaining two.
Earlier this week, Anna Badkhen, author of Peace Meals: Candy-Wrapped Kalashnikovs and other War Stories spoke at the library as part of the Human Journey Colloquia Series. She shared her experiences as a war correspondent to an audience of students, faculty, staff and guests. She explained that rather than cover the war itself, she prefers to delve into the lives of the people who are living, keeping homes and raising families in the war zone. Her talk sparked a lively discussion following the formal presentation.
The team from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) has completed its visit here, and now we wait to hear our accreditation status later this spring. I want to thank Interim Dean Rupendra Paliwal and the entire staff of the Welch College of Business for their hard work preparing for this site visit.
Congratulations also to Beth Sullivan, vice provost for Admissions/Financial Assistance. She did a spot on the Fox Connecticut morning news this week where she offered advice to students and parents on how to pay for a college education. She was helpful and eloquent and represented the University well.
A special thank you to the staff of the Mail and Duplicating Center. Valentine’s Day may well be their busiest day of the year, and they did a great job making sure that approximately 500 packages – many of them bouquets of flowers – reached their on-campus destinations.
This week is Resident Success Assistant (RSA) Appreciation Week. Our RSAs work hard around the clock to support our residential students and ensure they have a successful academic year. If you see an RSA, be sure to let him or her know how much we appreciate all that they do.
Alumnus Jeff LeBlanc ’08 was on campus Wednesday night to perform at the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts. He is a Sacred Heart success story whose latest album, Worth Holding On To, reached number three on the iTunes Top 200 Singer/Songwriter Chart and number 163 on the iTunes Top 200 Albums chart. He also was the opening act for David Archuleta’s U.S. Christmas tour this past December. We hope he will come back often.
Congratulations to the women’s basketball team on their sweep of Rivalry Week by defeating Bryant College twice this week and improving to 12-2 in conference play. A special nod goes to freshman Gabrielle Washington who was named NEC Rookie of the Week for the fourth time this week. She scored 21 points at home against Bryant on Saturday and 27 on Bryant’s home court on Wednesday, making her the first rookie this season to have back-to-back 20-plus point games.
The memorial mass for Sister Marie Julianne Farrington has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 29, at noon in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, in the next few weeks, I plan to begin hosting a series of casual faculty dinners of 10 to 12 people each time. Each guest list will include a mix of representatives from all of the Colleges. I look forward to great conversation in an informal setting and a chance for you to interact with colleagues you might not run into regularly.
Enjoy the weekend!
